[sin-duh-rel-uh] 
| 1. | a heroine of a fairy tale or folk tale who is maltreated by a malevolent stepmother but achieves happiness and marries a prince through the benevolent intervention of a fairy godmother. |
| 2. | (italics ) the tale itself, the earliest version of which is in Chinese and dates from the 9th century a.d. |
| 3. | (italics) a ballet (1945) with musical score by Sergei Prokofiev. |
| 4. | a person or thing of merit, undeservedly neglected or forced into a wretched or obscure existence. |
| 5. | a person who achieves unexpected or sudden success or recognition, esp. after obscurity, neglect, or misery. |
| Cin·der·el·la (sĭn'də-rěl'ə) n. One that unexpectedly achieves recognition or success after a period of obscurity and neglect. [After Cinderella, the fairy-tale character who escapes from a life of drudgery and marries a prince, translation of French Cendrillon.] |
Cinderella
heroine of a European folktale, the theme of which appears in numerous stories worldwide; more than 500 versions of the story have been recorded in Europe alone. Its essential features are a youngest daughter who is mistreated by her jealous stepmother and elder stepsisters or a cruel father; intervention of a supernatural helper on her behalf; and the reversal of fortune brought about by a prince who falls in love with her and marries her. One of the oldest known literary renderings of the theme is a Chinese version recorded in the 9th century AD
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